The city council voted 6-1 Tuesday night to amend the town’s municipal code and allow two retail marijuana stores to operate within the city limits. They would be the first — and possibly only — retail pot shops in El Paso County if the council again gives its approval Jan. 21, when a final vote on the ordinance is scheduled.

To date, no other local jurisdiction — including Colorado Springs — has allowed such sales.

The decision in Manitou Springs — with the lone dissenting vote cast by Councilman Gary Smith — comes after months of debate between public officials and residents about selling pot in the town of about 5,200 people at the foot of Pikes Peak. Multiple public hearings were held by the city in September and November to allow people to air concerns or support for marijuana stores.

Read the rest of this report and watch a video from the meeting at Gazette.com